PREFACE BY

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
CITIZEN AND SECRETARY OF FLORENCE ON

THE BOOKS ON THE ART OF WAR TO

LORENZO DI FILIPPO STROZZI,
A GENTLEMAN OF FLORENCE

Many, Lorenzo, have held and still hold the opinion, that there is nothing
which has less in common with another, and that is so dissimilar, as civilian
life is from the military. Whence it is often observed, if anyone designs to
avail himself of an enlistment in the army, that he soon changes, not only his
clothes, but also his customs, his habits, his voice, and in the presence of
any civilian custom, he goes to pieces; for I do not believe that any man can
dress in civilian clothes who wants to be quick and ready for any violence; nor
can that man have civilian customs and habits, who judges those customs to be
effeminate and those habits not conducive to his actions; nor does it seem
right to him to maintain his ordinary appearance and voice who, with his beard
and cursing, wants to make other men afraid: which makes such an opinion in
these times to be very true. But if they should consider the ancient
institutions, they would not find matter more united, more in conformity, and
which, of necessity, should be like to each other as much as these (civilian
and military); for in all the arts that are established in a society for the
sake of the common good of men, all those institutions created to (make people)
live in fear of the laws and of God would be in vain, if their defense had not
been provided for and which, if well arranged, will maintain not only these,
but also those that are not well established. And so (on the contrary), good
institutions without the help of the military are not much differently
disordered than the habitation of a superb and regal palace, which, even though
adorned with jewels and gold, if it is not roofed over will not have anything
to protect it from the rain. And, if in any other institutions of a City and of
a Republic every diligence is employed in keeping men loyal, peaceful, and full
of the fear of God, it is doubled in the military; for in what man ought the
country look for greater loyalty than in that man who has to promise to die for
her? In whom ought there to be a greater love of peace, than in him who can
only be injured by war? In whom ought there to be a greater fear of God than in
him who, undergoing infinite dangers every day, has more need for His aid? If
these necessities in forming the life of the soldier are well considered, they
are found to be praised by those who gave the laws to the Commanders and by
those who were put in charge of military training, and followed and imitated
with all diligence by others.

But because military institutions have become completely corrupt and far
removed from the ancient ways, these sinister opinions have arisen which make
the military hated and intercourse with those who train them avoided. And I,
judging, by what I have seen and read, that it is not impossible to restore its
ancient ways and return some form of past virtue to it, have decided not to let
this leisure time of mine pass without doing something, to write what I know of
the art of war, to the satisfaction of those who are lovers of the ancient
deeds. And although it requires courage to treat of those matters of which
others have made a profession, none the less, I do not believe that it is a
mistake to occupy a position with words, which may, with greater presumption,
have been occupied with deeds; for the errors which I should make in writing
can be corrected without injury to anyone, but those which are made with deeds
cannot be found out except by the ruin of the Commanders.

You, Lorenzo, will therefore consider the quality of these efforts of mine,
and will give in your judgement of them that censure or praise which will
appear to you to be merited. I send you these, as much as to show myself
grateful for all the benefits I have received from you, although I will not
include in them the (review) of this work of mine, as well as also, because
being accustomed to honor similar works of those who shine because of their
nobility, wealth, genius, and liberality, I know you do not have many equals in
wealth and nobility, few in ingenuity, and no one in liberality.